The struggles of two of England's biggest clubs, Chelsea and Manchester United, have dominated headlines in recent seasons, strangely even during the off-season.
Both clubs find themselves entangled in their own issues, from ownership decisions to problematic recruitment to managers. Here’s a closer look at the current crises at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford.
Coincidentally both Chelsea and Manchester United have had their ownership structure reshaped recently, albeit some two years apart.
Poor Transfer Decisions by New Owners:
The Blues first announced their new owners in May 2022 as American Consortium, Clearlake Capital now known as BlueCo, led by American businessman Todd Boehly, took over the club while Manchester United got a new minority owner in British businessman Jim Ratcliffe who purchased 25% stake in the club this year.
The one thing both clubs have had in common about their new owners is that both have spent lavishly on transfers since taking over but either with little apparent strategy or with a “manager’s Dutch-blindness”.
The Blues, seemingly the worst of the two teams in this category, have had a more than chaotic approach to their transfer business which has seen them end up with an inflated squad and questions over their long-term vision.
The signing of players on unusually long contracts — often spanning six to nine years — has raised eyebrows and intensified scrutiny, with questions over the motives behind such unusually lengthy contracts and their relation or lack thereof to “cheating the FFP rules and Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability regulations (PSR)”.
The fact that just this summer at a point, Chelsea had about 46 players on their books going into the new season, a number now standing at 29 currently, which is still one of the highest in the world, spells out the extent of the problem Chelsea had with signings.
In contrast, Manchester United's owners have just let the manager, Eric Ten Hag, a Dutch and former manager of Dutch club, Ajax, sign either Dutch players or players he formerly coached in the Dutch league at Ajax, seemingly with little regard to whether said players were a good fit and solutions for Manchester United and it’s playing problems or not.
Anthony, Lisandro Martinez, Malacia, de Ligt, Mazraoui, Onana and Josua Zirkzee, were all either Dutch players or at one point in their lives played not only in the Dutch Eredivisie but were managed by Manchester United’s boss Erik Ten Hag.
Transfer Market Craziness:
Chelsea’s recruitment has been frantic and unfocused. With 29 first-team players, including four (4) goalkeepers, Chelsea's squad management seems out of control, especially considering that since BlueCo’s £4.25bn takeover of the club in May 2022, they have spent £1bn-plus on transfers.
The club’s tendency to offload home-grown talents like Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah to make room for new ‘shiny and opportunistic’ signings reflects poor planning.
Just this season alone, players like Joao Felix signed for 52 million euros, Jadon Sancho signed on loan, Pedro Neto (60 million euros) signed permanently from Wolves, Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester for 35.40 million euros, Filip Jorgenson from Villarreal for 24.50 million euros and many others that totalled a little over have added to the overcrowded dressing room with no clear role.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have spent more than £400 million under Erik ten Hag, but their recruitment has been equally problematic. The Dutch manager’s preference for players he knows, such as Antony and Lisandro Martínez, has not consistently paid off.
Antony’s £82 million transfer fee looks increasingly unjustified given his performances, and new signings like Mason Mount have struggled to make an impact.
Dysfunction Squads:
Chelsea’s bloated squad poses a significant issue. Manager Enzo Maresca has to juggle an excessive number of players, many of whom were signed recently on long-term deals with little consideration for squad balance.
With young talents like Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Cole Palmer vying for spots alongside veteran recruits, finding a cohesive unit has been a daunting task.
This is reflected in Ben Chilwell, one of the veterans, now left with no choice but to look for an exit in January, because he is surplus to manager Enzo’s requirements just like Sterling, Chalobah, Broja, and Gallagher.
At United, Ten Hag faces different squad issues. Injuries have disrupted team cohesion, but the bigger problem lies in the underperformance of key players. Marcus Rashford has struggled to replicate his form from seasons ago, and veterans like Casemiro and Shaw have been inconsistent.
Questions about Ten Hag’s tactical decisions and player management are also growing louder, with some doubting his high-intensity training methods and the severity of his handling of Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo's disciplinary issues.
Managerial Woes:
Both clubs are struggling with managerial challenges. Pochettino, now sacked, was under pressure to mould Chelsea’s talent-heavy squad into a functioning team, but the chaos of the club’s recruitment made his job significantly harder.
Now Enzo Maresca has that responsibility after replacing the Argentine in the Chelsea dugout and already there are questions of whether the Italian can succeed at this with his handling of players like Sterling, Chalobah, Gallagher an Ben Chilwell.
Ten Hag’s issues at United stem from his inability to establish a clear playing style. After a successful first season, the Dutchman has come under fire for erratic tactical choices, such as dropping key players in crucial matches or making just the wrong substitutions.
His inability to get the best out of his signings, coupled with inconsistent performances, has intensified scrutiny over his position.
Who Has the Bigger Problem?
Both Chelsea and Manchester United face severe challenges, but Chelsea’s issues feel more self-inflicted. The Blues’ reckless spending, unorthodox contracts, and bloated squad reflect a chaotic and ‘suicidal’ approach from the top.
United’s problems, while serious, are more familiar — managers’ unchecked powers granted to him by owners, injuries, managers' tactical ineptness, and underperforming players.
Chelsea’s lack of direction from ownership down and dance with transfer and expenditure regulations appears to have the potential to put them in a deeper crisis, making their situation arguably the more complex of the two.
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